It is short, a quick read. I wanted to compare it to the film which is, as you say, unforgettable. I think the film does a better job of sharpening the message, of delivering the startling impression Harrison wanted to make. That last line in the movie (my husband and I laughed when we heard it all the way back in 1973) is considered one of the hundred most famous lines in cinema.

I was going to write a review of the movie at first, then decided to start with the book. A bit of trivia I learned when doing my research for the book/movie review: Edward G. Robinson (Sol) was actually dying of cancer when his death scene was shot. He was dead within weeks of the filming.